Picture hanger for use in combination with framed picture assembly



Nov. 23, 1965 s. M. CORNFIELD 3,218,747

PICTURE HANGER FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH FRAMED PICTURE ASSEMBLY Filed July 23, 1965 IF- 8 b sat/T 1' w R H4.

l I I K 1 w 1 I E 30 25 I VG-2a I 4 as g v Stanley {l l ggggfleld age/k? BY aon-Qsos 6/, II I ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,218,747 PICTURE HANGER FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH FRAMED PICTURE ASSEMBLY Stanley M. Cornfield, Springfield, N.J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reliable Manufacturing Company,

Newark, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 23, 1963, Ser. No. 296,970 7 Claims. (Cl. 40-1521) This invention relates generally to picture frame assemblies and is particularly concerned with a new so-called picture hanger adapted to be used with a framed picture to support the picture and its frame in position as, for example, on a wall having a nail or other hook projecting therefrom.

Various types of picture supports of widely diverse form have previously been suggested. For example, there is the conventional type of support which includes a pair of eyes or other hooks aifixed to opposite sides of the picture frame and having a wire extending therebetween whereby the wire can be draped over a wall hook or the like. In contrast, there has been prior suggestions as to the use of an apertured tab that can be fixed at the vertical center of the frame so that a wall hook or the like can be passed through the aperture in the tab. Between the extremes presented by these exemplary types of prior picture hanger constructions, there exist a multitude of other hanger assemblies.

Although each of the assemblies previously suggested may prove satisfactory in operation, and although each of the prior assemblies may have some advantage under particular conditions, all of the prior assemblies are inherently subject to certain disadvantages. The disadvantages vary from construction to construction, but there are two primary disadvantages that are particularly significant.

The first disadvantage concerns the assembly problem. With an apertured tab or the like, it is essential that the same be positioned very accurately so that the picture will hang straight when supported on a wall. The positioning of the hanger, in this instance, becomes critical and normally the manufacturer is required to place the apertured tab .on the frame prior to shipment.

With the use of eyes on opposite sides of the frame, and a wire extending therebetween, the manufacturer may or may not complete the assembly. If not, the ultimate user, if supplied with the component parts, faces a manipulation problem, and if so, the manufacturer faces a time consuming assembly operation.

Aside from problems of the above prescribed type, there is usually some projection from the framed picture assembly itself with the prior art hanger constructions. For example, with the exemplary type of units considered above, the head of the nail or brad securing the apertured tab in place, and the tab itself, project from the picture, and/ or the eyes or hooks on opposite sides of the frame supporting the hanging wire project from the picture. Because of such projections, the pictures cannot easily be handled in stacked relation to one another without marring a finished surface of one of the framed picture units.

The preceding discussion, While not intended to be complete in all respects, should indicate certain impor-v tant latent disadvantages in prior picture hanger unitsi.e., underlying assembly problems, and underlying handling problems.

The present invention has as its primary object the provision of a picture hanger unit which is not subject to the aforesaid defects, namely, the provision of a picture hanger unit which can be easily attached to the frame during the normal picture framing operations, and which 3,218,747 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 will not mar finished surfaces of adjacent pictures when the pictures are being handled by a distributor, a retailer, or the like.

Further, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved picture hanger for use in combination with a picture and frame therefor, which picture hanger is of simple and inexpensive construction, and which picture hanger can be secured in desired position on the picture frame by the same means utilized to maintain the picture within the frame.

Additionally, and of equal importance, a primary object of the present invention is to provide such a picture hanger which basically can be formed from a semi-rigid plastic of sufficient flexibility that it will not mar finished surfaces placed thereadjacent. More generally, in this specific regard, it is an object of the present invention to provide a picture hanger which aside from flat plastic surfaces thereof, presents no protrusions or projections which would mark adjacent finished surfaces when a picture carrying the hanger hereof is disposed in stacked relation to other pictures.

Still further, yet more specific, but significant objects of the present invention include the following: (a) the provision of a picture hanger conforming with the preceding objects wherein the hanger includes a portion disposed within the conventional rearwardly facing recess extending about the picture area of the frame, which portion of the hanger is so disposed as to give maximum vertical support to the framed picture assembly; (b) the provision of such a picture hanger, which by virtue of its construction, is adapted to support the framed picture assembly on a projection from a vertical surface, such as, for example, the end of a nail fixed within such surface and projecting in sloped relation therefrom; (c) the provision of such a picture hanger unit which includes means thereon for centering the picture as fixed on a vertical surface whereby the picture hanger need not be fixed in an extremely critical position with respect to the picture frame; (d) the provision of such a picture hanger which can be secured to the picture frame by means of staples or other securing pins whereby the staples or other securing pins fixing the hanger to the picture frame additionally serve to maintain the picture Within the rearwardly facing picture receiving recess of the frame; and, (e) the provision of such a picture hanger which can be formed from existent materials and very inexpensively so as to be available for commercial use in the picture frame industry.

The invention resides in the combination construction arrangement and form of the picture hanger itself, and in the combination thereof with a framed picture unit.

It should be here understood that the term picture as used herein is intended to be generic to various forms of display. Accordingly, a picture may comprise a conventional scene, a portrait, or the like, or alternatively, consistent with the definition of picture as used herein, the same may comprise a sign or other display. Similarly, the term picture frame is generic to a frame used to enclose a picture, whether the same be in the form of a scene, a portrait or the like, or in the form of a display such as, for example, a sign.

The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those specifically set forth above will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description. Such description refers to the annexed drawings presenting a preferred and illustrative embodiment hereof. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the rear of a picture frame assembly embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmental sectional view, on an enlarged scale from FIGURE 1, but taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and showing the detailed disposition and cooperation between the picture hanger hereof and the frame components associated therewith; and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, again on an enlarged scale from FIGURE 1, of a picture hanger body constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring more specifically to FIGURE 1, there is shown therein a picture frame assembly generally designated by the numeral 2 and including a picture frame 4, a picture 6 disposed within the frame 4, a picture hanger 8 cooperating with the frame, and a plurality of fastening means 10 which secure the picture 6 within the frame, and some of which fastening means, serve to also secure the hanger 8 to the frame. The picture frame, as conventional, and as best shown in FIGURE 2, has a picture opening 12 therein. A rabbet recess 14 in the frame 4 extends entirely about the opening 12 and faces rearwardly therefrom so as to receive the picture 6 therein.

The recess 14 has a first wall 16 disposed perpendicular to the plane of the opening 12, and a second wall 18 extending from the first wall 16 to the opening 12. The second wall 18 is disposed in the plane of the opening 12, and the first Wall 16 is spaced from such opening by the width of the second wall 18. The walls 16 and 18, accordingly, form a conventional L-shaped rearwardly facing and rearwardly opening rabbet recess.

It will be understood that the walls 16 and 18 exist along the top edge of the picture opening 12 as shown in FIGURE 2, as well as along the side and bottom edges thereof. Accordingly, the recess 14 is adapted to receive the picture 6, which as shown, comprises a single ply of material, such as cardboard or the like. Nothwithstanding the showing in the drawing, however, the picture 6 may be of a thinner material having a peripheral support, or in place of the picture 6, a picture means including the picture itself and a front support, such as a piece of glass, can be used. The important point to understand in this regard is that some picture means, such as the picture 6, fits within the rabbet recess 14 of the frame so that the picture is displayed through the picture opening 12 of the frame during normal use. The provision of a picture frame having a picture opening and a rabbet recess, asdescn'bed, is conventional, and moreover,-as also conventional, the rearwardly extending wall of the recess, i.e., the wall 16, is deeper than the picture means so that such wall extends rearwardly beyond the rear face of the picture means. In other words, it is conventional to provide a picture frame such as described above having a rabbet recess therein adapted to receive a picture therein, and it is further conventional to have the recess deeper than the picture itself so that the upstanding Wall of the recess extends behind the rear face of the picture. The invention does not reside in this construction, but instead resides in the picture hanger itself, and in the combination of the picture hanger with a frame such as described above.

The picture hanger 8 which forms parts of the overall assembly 2, and adapts the same to be supported on a nail ,or the like (not shown) extending from a wall, comprises an L-shaped body 30 formed of a semi-rigid plastic. More particularly, and by way of preferred example, the L-shaped body 30 can be formed of rigid polyvinyl chloride, rigid polystyrene (high impact) or high density polyethylene. These plastics are particularly suitable in that they possess the strength requirements necessary to the invention, and in that they permit a fastening of the picture hanger to the picture frame in accordance with the invention as described more fully below.

The L-shaped body 30 which provides the picture hanger comprises an upstanding flat plate portion 32 and a flange portion 34 which projects perpendicularly from the base edge 36 of the plate portion 32. The plate portion 32 has an opening 38 therein for receiving a support projecting therethrough. The plate portion 32 and flange portion 34 are integrally formed as a single piece, and the flange portion 34 is preferably coextensive in length with the plate portion 32, but of less width than the plate portion. The opening 38 in the plate portion 32 has one edge part or portion 39 disposed longitudinally centrally of the plate portion 32 and parallel to the base elongated edge 36 thereof. The edge portion 39 of the opening 38 has a sawtooth configuration therealong so as to permit centering of the ultimate framed picture assembly on a nail or the like projecting from a support surface.

As shown best in FIGURE 2, the flange portion 34 of the hanger is disposed in underlying abutting contact to the first wall 16 of the recess 14. Of course, as indicated by FIGURE 1, the flange portion 34 does not extend entirely under the wall 16, but instead extends under the central portion thereof.

The plate portion 32 of the hanger, as also shown in FIGURE 2, abuts against the rear edge portion 40 of the rame. The rear edge portion 40 comprises a conventional rear planar lip which extends about the outer periphery of the recess 14. Here again, the plate portion 32 of the.

body 30 only abuts against the central portion of the planar lip 49 which is adjacent that portion of the wall 16 against which the flange 34 is in abutting engagement.

It will be noted from FIGURE 2 that the depth of the wall 16, or of the recess 14, is at least as great as the depth of the flange portion 34. It may be convenient, in certain instances, to make the flange 34 of slightly less width than the depth of the wall 16, but the important point to here understand is that the flange 34 fits entirely within the recess 14 in underlying abutting engagement with the wall 16 thereof so that the plate portion 32 abuts against the rear of the picture frame, regardless of its configuration-i.e., whether it has a lip 40, or other rear surface.

With the picture 6 disposed within the recess 14 of the frame 4 as described above, and with the hanger 8 positioned on the frame with the flange 34 in the position shown in FIGURE 1, the assembly is ready for the final securing operation. To this end, the fastening means 10 are used. Preferably, such fastening means comprise staples 60. Each of the staples has a pair of spaced parallel legs 62 and 64 connected by a head member 66.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the staples 60 are dis-' posed parallel to the wall 18 of the recess 14 with the base portions of the legs thereof fixed in the frame through the first wall 16 (FIGURE 2).

The base portion 62a of the leg 62, as indicated by the phantom lines in FIGURE 2, extends within the frame and through the Wall 16 of the recess 14 therein. Similarly, the opposite leg of the staple there shown would extend into the frame. Moreover, additional staples would be secured in position in the same manner.

Although the base portions of the legs of each of the staples are fixed within the frame and through the wall 16 of the recess 14, the opposite ends, i.e., the end portions of each staple adjacent the head member 66 thereof, extend inwardly of the wall 16 with the head member and adjacent portions of the legs 62 and 64 of each staple engaging the rear face of the picture 6 to maintain the picture within the recess 14. By reference to FIGURE 2, it will be noted that the head portion 66 and top portion of the leg 62 is shown in engagement with the rear face of the picture 6. When all of the staples 60 are disposed about the recess, as shown in FIGURE 1, then the staples cumulatively serve to support the picture 6 in its desired position within the frame 4.

The same staples which are, used to support the picture in the recess, and which are disposed in the area of the hanger 8, serve to support the hanger 8 in its position. As shown in FIGURE 1, at least two of the staples 66 have legs thereof passing through the flange portion 34 of the hanger 8. The flange portion of the hanger tightly frictionally engages the legs of the staples passing therethrough so that the staples secure the hanger to the frame. The staples project beyond the flange and thus engage the rear face of the picture to maintain the picture in the picture receiving recess of the frame.

Consisten t with the above, it will be noted from FIG- URE 3 that the flange 34 of the hanger, as formed, is

is formed, and by virtue of the thickness of such body,

preferably between .015 and .030 inch, a staple or staples can be passed therethrough under normal staple-driving pressure. Thus, when the parts are assembled without the staples, and as described above, the same operation which secures the picture in place, namely, passing the staples into the upstanding side wall 16 of the recess, serves to secure the hanger in place since at least two of the staples are passed through the flange portion 34 of the hanger. The material of the flange portion at least, and with the integral formation of the overall body of the hanger, is such that when the staples are passed therethrough under pressure, the material serves to tightly grip the staples thereby fixing the hanger in place.

While staples have been described above, and while staples are preferably used, any form of pin member can be incorporated in place of the staples so long as a plurality of pin members are spaced about the side or peripheral wall 16 of the recess so as to support the picture therein, and so long as at least a pair of the pin mem bers pass through the flange 34 of the hanger in spaced relation to one another to properly secure the same in position.

While the basic construction of the invention has been described above in detail, there are certain additional factors deserving of consideration. First of all, it is to be noted that the plate member 32 extends vertically upward behind the picture frame, or at the rearmost face thereof. Accordingly, when a nail or other hook (not shown) is passed through the opening 38 in the plate portion 32 of the hanger, the picture frame is disposed with its rearmost portion adjacent the supporting surface or wall, thereby eliminating the normal tilting which occurs, for example, with the conventional use of spaced eyes and a wire extending therebetween. Of course, the picture frame 4 has been shown as having an inwardly sloped outer rear surface, and while this construction facilitates the use of a nail of any length on the wall to support the picture assembly, a flat or differently shaped rear surface frame can be used herewith without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Another important factor resides in the ability to use a semi-rigid plastic material, preferably of the types listed above. Such materials, while generally rigid and providing suflicient support strength, can be flexed, and by comparison with metals, are quite soft. Accordingly, when a hanger is formed in accordance herewith, the material thereof does not mar finished surfaces coming in contact therewith in the same manner as would be experienced if metals were used, or if some projection from the assembly were to exist. In this latter regard, it should be appreciated that the fastening means for the hanger, namely the staples or pin members are within the picture receiving recess. Here again, any tendency of the assembly to mar adjacent finished surfaces is eliminated. Thus, the assembly finds particular utility not only in supporting a picture, but in permitting the handling of pictures in stacked relation to one another for display purposes, or the like.

One further particularly important point resides in the fact that the flange 34 is disposed horizontally in normal use and supports an overlying flat surface, namely, the peripheral wall 16 of the recess 14. The vertical support, which exists by virtue of the elongated construction of the hanger 8 engaging a substantial portion of the peripheral wall 16 of the recess 14, eliminates the tendency of the hanger to pull loose from the frame. In fact, this aspect of the invention readily permits the use of staples or pin members which are free of any lateral projections thereon in the area of the flange portioni.e., the legs of the staples or pin members are gripped by the material as passed therethrough, so as to support the hanger on 6 the frame without requiring the engagement of nail heads or the like with the flange of the hanger.

After reading the foregoing detailed description of the illustrative and preferred embodiment of the present invention, it should be apparent that the objects set forth at the outset of the present specification have been successfully achieved.

Accordingly, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a picture assembly including a picture and a picture frame, wherein said frame has a picture opening and an open rearwardly facing picturereceiving recess disposed about said picture opening and having a peripheral wall extending about said picture, the improvement comprising: a picture hanger having an upstanding flat plate portion and a flange portion adapted to project perpendicularly from a base edge of said plate portion, said flange portion being disposed in underlying abutting contact with said peripheral wall of said recess, and elongated fastening means including pin members extending through said flange portion and into said frame through said peripheral wall, said pin members projecting inwardly from said peripheral wall and beyond said flange portion, said pin members extending parallel to said opening and behind said picture to secure said picture within said recess under said pin members, said flange portion tightly frictionally engaging the sides of said pin members passing therethrough to secure said flange and thereby said hanger to said frame with said plate portion disposed at the rear of said frame.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein said pin members are free of lateral projections thereon at least on the portions thereof engaging said flange portion of said hanger.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said plate portion of said hanger and said flange portion thereof are integrally formed as a single elongated body, and wherein said plate portion has an opening therein with one edge portion of said opening in said plate portion being disposed longitudinally centrally of said body and parallel to said base edge of said plate portion, said one edge portion of said opening in said plate portion having a saw-tooth configuration therealong.

4. A picture frame assembly comprising:

(a) a picture frame having a picture opening therein;

(b) a rabbet recess in said frame extending entirely about said opening and facing rearwardly therefrom;

(c) said recess having a first wall disposed perpendicular to the plane of said opening, said first wall bei fig spaced from said opening;

(d) said recess having a second wall extending from said first wall to said opening, said second wall being disposed in the plane of said opening;

(e) a picture means disposed in said recess with the forward face thereof abutting said second wall;

(f) said second wall being deeper than said picture means whereby said second wall extends rearwardly beyond the rear face of said picture means;

(g) a picture hanger comprising an L-shaped body having an upstanding flat plate portion and a flange portion projecting perpendicularly from a base edge of said plate portion;

(h) said plate portion having an opening therein for receiving a support projecting therethrough;

(i) said flange portion of said hanger being disposed in underlying abutting contact to one portion of said first wall of said recess;

(j) the depth of said first wall of said recess being at least as great as the depth of said flange portion;

(k) said plate portion exteriorly abutting the rear of said frame adjacent said one portion of said first wall; and

(l) a plurality of staples securing said flange portion of said hanger to said one portion of said first wall and 7 a the forward face of said picture in abutment with said second wall;

(m) each of said staples having a pair of spaced parallel legs connected by a head member;

(11) said staples being disposed parallel to said second wall of said recess with the base portions of the legs thereof fixed in said frame through said first wall;

() said staples extending inwardly of said first wall with the head member and adjacent portions of said legs engaging the rear face of said picture to maintain said picture in said recess;

(p) at least two of said staples having the legs thereof passing through said flange portion of said hanger;

(q) said flange portion of said hanger tightly frictionally engaging the legs of said at least two staples passing therethrough whereby said at least two staples secure said hanger to said frame and also engage the rear face of said picture to maintain said picture in said recess.

5. A picture frame assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said plate portion and said flange portion are integrally formed with one another; and wherein the thickness of said flange portion adapts said flange portion to pass the legs of said staples therethrough under pressure and to tightly frictionally grip said legs as passed therethrough.

6. A picture frame assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein said flange portion is coextensive in length with said plate portion but of less width than said plate portion, and wherein said opening in said plate portion has one edge portion disposed longitudinally centrally of said plate portion and parallel to said base edge of said plate portion, said oneedge portion of said opening in said plate portion having a saw-tooth configuration therealong.

7. A picture hanger comprising:

a body having an elongated plate portion with elongated spaced apart generally parallel upper and lower edges and with spaced apart generally parallel side edges extending between said upper and lower edges;

said body having a flange portion integrally appended to said plate portion along the lower edge thereof;

said flange portion having spaced substantially parallel top and bottom edges, with said top edge being connected to said plate portion lower edge and being coextensive therewith;

said plate portion having a perpendicular distance between its upper and lower edges in excess of the perpendicular distance between said flange portion top and bottom edges;

said plate portion having an elongated opening therein disposed centrally between said side edges;

said elongated opening including a lower boundary edge disposed nearest to said lower edge and an upper boundary edge disposed nearest to said upper edge;

said lower boundary edge being a continuous linear edge in generally parallel relationship to said upper and lower edges;

said upper boundary edge having a saw-tooth configuration extending therealong;

said body being fabricated of a non-metallic material which can be readily penetrated by a wire pin inserted therein under pressure;

said hanger being configurated, in use, in a generally L-shaped configuration, with said flange portion being disposed substantially perpendicularly to said plate portion, whereby wire pin means can be inserted through said flange portion to attach said picture hanger to a picture while said elongated opening can receive an element projecting from a wall, and thus when said saw tooth edge abuts upon said element. said picture hanger supports said picture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,340,711 5/1920 Greenwald 40-152 X 2,875,542 3/1959 Peach 40-152.1

FOREIGN. PATENTS 363,385 11/1922 Germany.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A PICTURE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PICTURE AND A PICTURE FRAME, WHEREIN SAID FRAME HAS A PICTURE OPENING AND AN OPEN REARWARDLY FACING PICTURERECEIVING RECESS DISPOSED ABOUT SAID PICTURE OPENING AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL EXTENDING ABOUT SAID PICTURE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: A PICTURE HANGER HAVING AN UPSTANDING FLAT PLATE PORTION AND A FLANGE PORTION ADAPTED TO PROJECT PERPENDICULARLY FROM A BASE EDGE OF SAID PLATE PORTION, SAID FLANGE PORTION BEING DISPOSED IN UNDERLYING ABUTTING CONTACT WITH SAID PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID RECESS, AND ELONGATED FASTENING MEANS INCLUDING PIN MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FLANGE PORTION AND INTO SAID FRAME THROUGH SAID PERIPHERAL WALL, SAID PIN MEMBERS PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM SAID PERIPHERAL WALL AND BEYOND SAID FLANGE PORTION, SAID PIN MEMBERS EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID OPENING AND BEHIND SAID PICTURE TO SECURE SAID PICTURE WITHIN SAID RECESS UNDER SAID PIN MEMBERS, SAID FLANGE PORTION TIGHTLY FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING THE SIDES OF SAID PIN MEMBERS PASSING THERETHROUGH TO SECURE SAID FLANGE AND THEREBY SAID HANGER TO SAID FRAME WITH SAID PLATE PORTION DISPOSED AT THE REAR OF SAID FRAME. 